Government postpones disaster-hit farmers’ debt payments

ANKARA

The government granted one-year deadline extension for the debts of Turkish farmers who suffered at least 30 percent crop loss due to disasters.

The Turkish government has announced it has postponed the debt repayments of the farmers who were adversely affected by various natural causes for one year.

The farmers and agricultural businesses that have suffered at least 30 percent losses from the drought and frost of the recent months will have one year more to pay their debts to Ziraat Bank and Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, according to the Cabinet decision released by the Official Gazette May 13.

The postponement will also cover disasters like fire, heat and floods that occurred between Aug. 28, 2013 and Dec. 31, 2014.

Turkish farmers had been pressuring the authorities to introduce measures to cover losses particularly from drought and frost.

After suffering from the driest winter of the recent past due to above-season temperatures and the lack of rain, the farmers were also hit by frost at the end of March.

Heavy snow fell at higher elevations, while temperatures occasionally dropped to -10 Celsius across Turkey, exacting a severe toll on a number of crops, particularly in the Black Sea, Central Anatolian and East Anatolian regions.